11
votes
Accepted
How to disambiguate between various meditation practices?
It appears unclear to you because you have not comprehended the essence of the Buddha's teachings.
The Buddha did not teach any 'techniques'. The Buddha taught to abandon craving & other ...
- 42.8k
11
votes
How to disambiguate between various meditation practices?
I agree with Dhammadhatu in that the different meditations seem confusing when you don't know what it is all about.
When you know the underlying principle, you know how these different meditations ...
- 58.9k
7
votes
Accepted
Can Buddhism help me find my passion?
The "passion" you talk about sounds like a craving for something which you haven't defined. Your question seems to be asking, "I crave something (I crave something to feel passionate about), but I don'...
- 47.1k
7
votes
Accepted
Which is the easiest of the four paths for a novice lay practitioner?
The sutta was spoken by Ananda. It is not the words of the Buddha. The Buddha taught samatha & vipassana are developed in tandem (MN 149; Dhp 372); as demonstrated in MN 118 (when it is properly ...
- 42.8k
7
votes
How to disambiguate between various meditation practices?
OP: S.N. Goenka says if you practice Vipassana, you must not practice any other technique (but, even more confusingly, he also teaches Anapana and Metta)
What is said by Goenka is that you should ...
6
votes
I am confused with my life. In most of the time I fill that, My husband don't love me don't care of myself
The Buddha taught to maintain a good marriage, the husband & wife must speak to each other with loving gentle words and also have the same goals for life. Please read this in the Samajivina Sutta.
...
- 42.8k
6
votes
Im making no progress on meditation
RE: "I don't even know what I'm supposed to do during meditation" & "what's causing the bliss?" - Congrats, you are very clear about what it is that you're not clear about. That's an awesome first ...
- 58.9k
5
votes
Reasons against practicing insight meditation as a main (sitting) practice for medical or other recondite-subject majoring students?
I did my first longer vipassana retreat while I was a postdoc researcher (applied math and numerics), and did many more since then. I found it beneficial to have days/weeks dedicated for intense ...
- 951
5
votes
Accepted
Advice on leading sitting group
It is good to start a sitting group. My suggestions are:
Make the group as informal & self-reliant as possible. 'Self-reliant' means making it clear that meditation is an activity of self-...
- 42.8k
5
votes
Meditation technique to reduce/control pain/sorrow/loss
Each technique a type of character or mental biase.
Greedy: the ten foulness meditations; or, body contemplation.
Hating: the four brahma-viharas; or, the four color kasinas.
Deluded: ...
4
votes
Should I meditate on one thing or just any sensation that arise?
The main objective of meditation is to maintain a mind of equanimity (calmness).
When the mind is calm, it can also develop insight.
Meditating upon one thing helps establish equanimity (calmness)....
- 42.8k
4
votes
Awake mind after meditation
But when I try to concentrate more during meditation, my mind becomes charged...
If what you are describing here is concentrate with more effort (rather than meditating for a longer duration) then ...
- 42.8k
4
votes
Are there meditation practices that improve logical problem solving skills?
I am not aware of any meditation practices that improve logical problem solving skills. However (although I am not an academic), I have found, in my experience, the more clear & calm the mind is, ...
- 42.8k
4
votes
Are there meditation practices that improve logical problem solving skills?
I've heard that when you sleep on a problem, you're mind thinks of a solution during the rest. That's kind of how meditation works, a sort of self-induced slumber (though its important not to fall ...
- 1,343
4
votes
Seeking guidance on avoiding meditation distractions and sluggishness
A standard beginner's practice for those who get distracted is to count your breaths. You can count them by subvocalizing, or on fingers. I counted by touching my thumb to three phalanges on each ...
- 58.9k
4
votes
Which is the easiest of the four paths for a novice lay practitioner?
I believe that many/most people understand the meaning of jhana incorrectly. Bhikkhu Kumara has written a book recently to address this. He is waiting on more feedback before allowing people to post ...
4
votes
How to disambiguate between various meditation practices?
There are really just two aspects of meditations in Buddhism, as seen in Kimsuka Sutta:
"Suppose, monk, that there were a royal frontier fortress with strong
walls & ramparts and six gates. ...
- 37.5k
4
votes
Which meditation is less likely to have negative effects or be practiced wrong?
Right immersion is preceded by right mindfulness, right effort, right livelihood, right action, right speech, right thought and right view. These prerequisites are critical and should be investigated ...
- 9,479
3
votes
Accepted
Are there meditation practices that improve logical problem solving skills?
There is a practice called Analytical Meditation. In this type of meditation you make a problem, or something that you want a deeper understanding of, to become the object of your meditation. You ...
- 46
3
votes
Sensory Deprivation tank
Sure. Meditation is a mental activity which means it can be done anywhere at anytime. It doesn't matter if you're on a bus, in your room, or in a deprivation tank.
So is a deprivation tank valuable? ...
- 366
3
votes
Accepted
Back from a retreat: what to practice?
Your idea to practise alternate metta & breath meditation sounds ideal.
You correctly understand that the development of rapture & jhana generally require retreat conditions thus generally ...
- 42.8k
3
votes
Which place is good for vipassana meditation?
These are two prominent places in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka offers 1 year residence visa easily if you have a recommendation beforehand. Normally in Sri Lanka, temperory ordination is discouraged and ...
- 41
3
votes
What meditation is best to learn to "control" your mind?
Any thoughts, including negative thoughts, are triggered by some stimuli, and have a sensation associated with it.
The best would be to deal with them as per in the Suttas. Suttas like: "Dhātu ...
3
votes
What meditation is best to learn to "control" your mind?
To say “to control the mind” sounds a bit too aggressive. Mind is a delicate thing, and not easy to tame. Taming it is like catching a fish with bare hands. Compare it to a Fish in a river are ...
- 9,685
3
votes
Accepted
What meditation is best to learn to "control" your mind?
That's a nice question.
My first thought if I may mention it is that "controlling the mind" might be an odd question. I think that the mind is a sense-organ (for ideas and feelings and so on), like ...
- 47.1k
3
votes
Meditation technique to reduce/control pain/sorrow/loss
I think sorrow and pain come from at four three experiences:
loss due to natural impermanence, such as the death of a loved one
hurt in relation to relationships, which have not worked out or which ...
- 42.8k
3
votes
I am confused with my life. In most of the time I fill that, My husband don't love me don't care of myself
Sorry that you're unhappy. I suppose you might like two kinds of advice:
How to cooperate with your husband
How to feel peace of mind independently
I don't know of good, specifically-Buddhist advice ...
- 47.1k
3
votes
Accepted
Possibility of Unsuitable Technique
I don't think the idea that breath meditation is universally suitable has any explicit basis in the texts. I'm not sure if you are aware or interested, but the Visuddhimagga has an explicit opinion on ...
- 24.1k
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